AN OFFICIAL of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said the agency will make sure that the local officials in Central Luzon will follow Commission on Elections (Comelec) rules during the May 2019 elections.

Lawyer Charmaine Jacqueline Paulino, legal officer of the DILG Central Luzon office, made this assurance in a recent forum with members of the Pampanga Press Club (PPC) at the Park Inn By Radisson Clark hotel inside the Clark Freeport.

"On the part of the DILG, we will continue the oversight and supervision over the local government units during the elections to ensure that the local government officials will still follow Comelec rules," Paulino said.

She cited DILG Secretary Eduardo Año's memorandum circular directing the agency's regional and provincial directors to monitor local government properties and vehicles.

"All local government properties should not be used in political activities especially the vehicles. We have standing order from Secretary Ano to monitor the compliance," the official added.

Año's directive also includes the prohibition of campaign material posting in city and municipal halls, according to Paulino.

She also announced that the DILG is set to conduct a voters education campaign this March.

"Another thing, we will have this March another barangay assembly mandated by our law. We deemed it necessary to include education to remind our voters to select competent officials," Paulino said.

The educational campaign will include the basic rules and prohibitions of the Comelec relative to the fair elections law.

Barangay and civil-service officials are also prohibited to engage in partisan political exercise, according to Paulino.